Go with a professional. Our GC included appliance installation in his quote so we let him install the appliances. Here's what we found: Miele double oven installed with out the ventilation cutout in the cabinet. (Thank goodness the cabinet face was too small and they had to take the ovens out to make the face bigger. In my efforts to determine how the oven was supposed to fit in the cabinet I came across the specs requiring the cutout right there on the installation page.) GE Monogram Freezer has a custom panel. In an attempt to place this panel the GC used so much force that a) he bent the door hinge and b) he pushed the entire freezer out of alignment and c) scratched the panel. Had to get a new freezer and panel. Oh he also "never knew" there was a top panel trim so when the door closed it didn't catch the switches and the compressor never turned on. DUH - why was there an extra BIG piece in the box. Between not having a compressor and a freezer so out of whack the seal didn't take we lost an entire freezer worth of food as it took two days before ABT could get out to check it and Habitat for Humanity had already picked up our old SXS. Sharp microwave draw was installed with out the safety block. Thank goodness it had to come out for an electrical inspection or we wouldn't have known until Gd forbid it tipped. 2 Miele Dishwashers. GC screwed into cabinets without shims so they moved and damaged the cabs. Needless to say, this plus other finishing incompetencies ended up with GC being fired. Get a professional. It's worth it. We had ABT (our appliance supplier in Chicago) come and reinstall the freezer and dishwashers. Cost was $149 per appliance.

Oh...boy!. First time here and can I ever tell you about kitchen designers and contractors! I just finished my kitchen. Initially, the KD company had a contractor who works for them if a client needs it but apparently this guy didn't want my little 30K job because it was "too small". I had to hire my own contractors for electrical, demo of the old kitchen, and plumbing. (I later found out that these contractors, whom I know from another job, also install kitchens but at the time, I didn't bother to ask....) Anyhow, the KD mis-measured and a switch was half hidden behind a cabinet. He arrives to check it out while my contractors are here. They discuss it and it is agreed that the switch rather than the cabinet will have to be moved. Since my contractors are on the premises they may as well move it...ah yah, right! It cost me an extra $300 to move the switch because it wasn't easy as it was attached to a support beam. I paid the contractors and then deducted this amount as a back charge from the final payment owed to the KD company. Then, the KD threatens to take me to small claims court because he says why should his firm pay when they could have chosen their own contractor! Say what? Their contractor didn't want my measly job. This was their mistake. They never told me to wait or found a solution for over a month and they waited until the final payment was due to tell me this, even though I warned them repeatedly... Turns out the KD is mad at my contractors because they insulted his "plumbing knowledge" at some point. Now, I'm being forced to pay for a job the KD screwed up and let me tell you, there are numerous other measurement issues that have occurred as well...like brackets that are too big for a peninsula and a food processor that doesn't fit anywhere, despite the KD measuring it to fit! So, friends...the moral of this story is....If you have found a contractor who has experience installing a kitchen, don't rule them out just because they aren't bona fide KDs! I did and look where it landed me! (The latest is the KD is now trying to make me pay for 4 wooden counter support brackets that are apparently $100 each -- replacements for others that didn't match the kitchen hardware...presumably the KD's way of winning this round!) How many ways can you spell RI-DON-CULOUS!

I had a different experience. My kitchen designer works with independent contractors who specialize in kitchens and as well as general contracting. He was available to work with the GC to discuss certain design elements and guided the design. They often argued about functionality/cost versus appearance. The kitchen designer often recommended expensive options and the GC executed realistically. For example, I installed glass counters and wanted ss for a substrate. The designer just went to the fabricator and came back with a cost of 1200 for the SS substrate. The GC did it himself for 250. They worked together to design my base/crown/frame moldings. I was lucky that the GC had one really terrific carpenter who worked for him. The granite and glass fabrication companies did the counter installations. The GC was not great on "pretty" and that is where the KD really helped...wall paint color, etc.

You can't get a quote from a GC unless you have a plan detailing all of the designs and specifications. A designer does more than just act to help you select aesthetic finishes. I just finished a gut remodel of my condo which included the kitchen and two baths. The designer I hired created extensive design plans which were used to obtain permits and were submitted to GC's for their bid. They then provided me with firm bids which I could accept. I paid for those aesthetic features where the costs were dependent on my design choices and those materials were outside the bid and not included but installation and prep for the materials I selected was included. I had a backsplash but I provided the tiles which were selected by my designer and me but the GC's bid included installation costs. I selected the wood floors and paid for those but the quote included all installation costs including costs for sublayers including materials and labor (( needed self leveling layer, cork, plywood and glue) There were other items that I selected such as faucets but the firm quote included all the rough plumbing and labor to install the fixtures I had selected. And so on. Any GC who is providing an estimate of a plan without specific plans isn't really providing you with a quote you can rely on.